Split lock replacer



Dec. 4, 1934. J. SUNNEN 1,982,837

' SPLIT LOCK REPLACER Filed April 10, 1931 2 SheetsSheet 2 M f ylNl/E/VTOR Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- SPLIT LOCKREPLACER Joseph Sunnen, Kirkwood, Mo. V Application April 10, 1931,Serial No; 529,066 H 1Claim. (01. 81-3) l This invention relates to newand useful im- Figure 2is atop plan view of the tool.

provements in lock replacers, for usein connec- Figure 3 is an enlargedvertical cross section tion with valve assemblies of internalcombustaken online 3-3 of Figure l.- 7 I tion engines. a l Figure 4 isan enlarged vertical cross section As is well known in the art, thevalve stem cartaken on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

ries on its lower end a spring washer which is Figure 5 is anenlargedhorizontal cross seclocked thereon by a suitable key or lock. v Contiontaken on line 5-5 of Figure l. siderable difiiculty is experienced inreplacing Figure 6 is a vertical cross section "taken 0 4 the lockmembers in position onthe stem particline 6-6 of Figure 5.- l ularlywhen split lock members are i used. Figure 7 is a top plan view of thetool showing 65 The primary objects of the present invention the jawmembers thereof in expanded positions. are to provide a tool which ishighly efficient in Referring by numerals to the accompanying operation,is so constructed that it can bev used drawings, A indicates aconventional valve aswith ease in restricted locations, and which issembly, partly broken away, wherein B indicates 5 adapted to hold therespective halvesof the lock a valve stem, the lower end of which isprovided 70,

in operative positions independently of each other. with a seat C forreceiving the split lock mem- Other objects of the invention are toprovide bers D. Thesemembersare split longitudinally a tool of the classdescribed having a pair of coand when assembled are of truncatedcone-shape operating jaws, each of which is adapted to reand lit into adownwardly presented similarly ceive and resiliently hold in operativeposition shaped seat formed on washer E. This washer is 75 one of thecomplementary lock members indeloosely arranged on said valve stem andis enpendently of the other so that said jaws can be gaged by the lowerend of avalve spring F which moved relatively to each other withoutdanger serves to hold said washer upon said lock meniof releasing saidlock members. bers and the latter in turn holds said members Still otherobjects of the invention are to proon the valve stem; 80a

vide a split lock replacer comprising a support, The valve assembly isgenerally so located with a movable member on said support, and a pairrespect to the en'gineblock that due to the limited of opposed jawmembers pivotally mounted on space and the particular construction ofthe Said movab members a y ld gly held in valve assembly it is extremelydifficult to replace closedposition, said jaw members being pivotallythe lock members on said valve stem. s5

movable independently ofeach otherand, each To facilitate placement ofthe lock members, being provided with a spring'for holdingthe re- Iprovide a tool comprising'a support 10 having spective lock member inproper position whereby a handle ll'and carrying a sliding plate 12 onthe pivotal movement of said jaw members away which are pivotallymounted jaw members or from each other doesnot cause displacement of1evelrs 13'. I i '90 said lock members. 1, The support 10 is pivotallymounted 'at its rear Additional objects of the invention are'to proendon one end of handle 11, as indicated at 14. vide a tool of the class dscribed havinec oper -r This support is preferably offset in its length,tive piv tally u d l ws f r vyieldinsly das indicated t 15, in order tobring the other end' 0 ing in Operative POSilJiOIIS, d independently 0f16*of said support on a different horizontalplane 95' each other, thecomplementary 0 me b with respect to pivot 14 and handle 11. This Saidjaws being movable longitudinally relatively end 16 has secured thereto,by means of a rivet to g member to cause 531d Jaws to v 17, slidingplate 12. The lower end of this plate autmat1cany.apart and clear e;valve Stem is formed channel shaped with the flanges 18 g g g g g g gg mh placed presented downwardly and engaging the sides With these andotherobjects in view, my inof gnd w t Sam plaife 12 1s maintamed ventionconsists in certain novel features of condunng 113$ Shdmg movement mproper ahgnment with said end; This plate is formed with a lonstructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter l more fully described andclaimed, and illustrated gltudmany imposed slot 19 through whlch in taccompanying drawings, in 17 extends upwardly and which permits slidingFigure 1 is a side elevational view of my tool movement of Said platerelatively to pp and showing it in conn tion with a valve Jaw members orlevers 13 are pivotally mounted sembly, the valve spring being shown indotted fadjacent to the rear end of sliding plate 12 as 551lines.indicated at 20. Each lever has its own pivot and 1m said pivots beingspaced equidistant to each side of the longitudinal axis of the device.

Each lever is preferably formed from a blank of sheet metal so cut andshaped as to provide a horizontally disposed bottom wall 21 flanged atthe sides 21a, 21a, a vertically disposed inner wall 22, and ahorizontally disposed top wall 23, which latter terminates at suitabledistance from the forward or jaw end of the lever. Thus the rear half ofeach lever is substantially U-shape in cross section, while the forwardhalf of the lever is substantially angle shape. Rivet 1'7 extendsupwardly a suitable distance above the top walls 23 of the levers and isprovided with a washer 24 which bears against said' walls and preventsupward movement of said levers without hampering movement thereof inhorizontal planes, the vertical walls 22 being also cutaway at thesepoints to provide notches sloping in bothdirections. These notches areof suflicient depth to permit said levers, when sliding member 12 isretracted, to occupy closed positionsas shown in Figures 2 and 5.However, when said plate is moved forwardly, cut-out'portions- 25 aredisengaged from the rivet, thereby causing said leversspring extendsinwardly between :the horizontalwalls 21 and 23 of the levers and itsends bear against the vertical walls 22 of the respective levers,thereby yieldingly maintaining the latter in closed positions (see Fig.5).

Each lever is provided near its forward or jaw end with a semi-circularnotch 29 formed in the inner edge of the bottom wall 21, the verticalwall 22 terminating adjacentto each side of said notch. Each of thesenotches is of smaller radius than the outside radius of thecorresponding lock and of slightly greater radius thanthe inner radiusthereof, so that the'corresponding lock members can be easily supportedonthe levers with their concave faces aligned and without any danger ofinterference between the lever and the valve stem of the valve assembly.I

Each lever is provided with a resilient member or spring 30, the rearend of which is engaged by pivot or pin 20 of the respective lever,while a projection 31 formed integral with the upper wall 23 andextending downwardly therefrom engages said member at the opposite sideand at a point spaced a suitable distance from pivot 20. The forward endof the spring is provided with a convex face which bears against theinside of the vertical wall 22a, which latter is arranged between notch29 and the extreme end of lever 13.

Thus each lever is pivotally mounted independently of the other leverand is provided with an individual resilient member which is notassociated in any manner with the other lever.

Each resilient'member 30 is provided near its forward end with a seatportion 30a having a substantially semi-circular seat or face 32 whichis arranged adjacent to the notch 29 of the respective lever.

When a split lock member D is placed in posi-- tion on the lever, thevertical face thereof bears against the inner sides of the wall portions22 and 22a while the outer convex face thereof is en-- .matic openingand closing of the jaw members of the levers facilitates the operationand positioning of the device.

In the operation of my improved split lock. replacers the split locks D,D are inserted between 'the walls 22, 22a and seat portion 30a of eachspring 30 for application to the seat C of valve stem B. However, beforethe split lock may be inserted the spring F is raised by means of asuitable tool (not shown) so that the washer E is above the seat C onwhich the split locks D, D are placed. With the spring raised theoperator may now push the levers 13, 13 against the valve seat C so asto'force the levers open and allow the stem to enter the notch 29 and ofcourse betweenthe split locksD, D. The forward ends 30a, 30a of springs30, 30 bear against'the split locks D, D with sufficient pressure tohold them on the seat C as the operator withdraws the entire tool, thetwo split locks slipping out from behind the forward ends 30c, 30a ofthe springs. It is preferable before removing the tool that the valvespring F'be released so that seat C will engage the split locks D, D andabsolutely hold them against displacement when the tool is beingwithdrawn.

I claim:

A split lock replacer comprising a support, a plate movably mountedthereon and provided with a longitudinally disposed slot, a pair oflevers pivotally mounted near one of their ends on said plate and havingtheir opposite ends extending beyond said plate and provided withoppositely disposed jaws adapted to receive a pair of -split lockmembers, a yieldable member arranged on each lever and having its freeend arranged to cooperate with the respective jaw and yieldably hold thecorresponding split lock member in position thereon, a spring foryieldably holding said levers injaw closing positions, and apin fixed toand extending upwardly from said support through. the slot of said plateand betweensaid levers whereby said plate and parts associated therewithare movable longitudinally of said support and said pin, the inner edgesof said levers being provided with opposed cooperating notches foraccommodating said pin and permit closing of said jaws when said leversoccupy normalpositions, said pin causing outward movement of said jawswhen said plate and said levers are displaced longitudinally.

JOSEPH SUNN EN.

